Long-term effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on cervical lesions in HIV-positive women.

Abstract

This prospective study evaluated the effect of long-term highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on human papillomavirus-related cervical disease in clinically stable HIV-positive women on unchanged therapy and those switching to HAART because of virological worsening. Only the clinically stable (P= 0.00004) and HAART-treated women in the same group (P= 0.0009) showed a reduction in lesions, thus suggesting that strict preventative regimens for invasive lesions are also needed in the HAART era.